Footboard for locomotives.



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PATBNTED JULY 2, 1907.

APPLIOATION 'FILED JAN.-31, 1907.

H L ROBERTS FOOTBOARD FOR LOGOMOTI-VESY,

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HARRY LAMAR ROBERTS, OF KEOKUK, IOWA.

FOOTBOARD FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1907.

Application tiled January 3l, 1907. Serial No. 355,065.

To all 'whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, HARRY LAMAR ROBERTS, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Keokuk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Footboards for Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in foot boards for locomotives, and the object is to provide what may be termed both an adjustable and automatic foot board, and by the former is meant a foot board capable of being elevated to different positions with respect to the track, and by the latter, a board which will yield readily in an upward direction, in the event of the engine becoming derailed, or the board striking an obstruction.

With the foregoing objects in view, my invention consists in a foot board having sliding connection with the front tank timber whereby it is capable of yielding in an upward direction.

It further consists in a board having a roller on its lower surface adapted to roll upon the rail, should it strike the latter, and it still further consists in means for adjusting the vertical position of the foot board relative to the track. as well as in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawingsz-Figure l is a view in perspective showing my improved foot board attached to the tank timber. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the board. Fig. 3 is a detail.

A, represents a cross transverse timber known as the tank timber. This may represent a portion of the frame either at the front or rear of the engine.

B, B, indicate socket plates seciu'ed by bolts or otherwise to the outer surface of the timber. These socket plates are preferably made of malleable castings and are provided internally with peculiarly shaped orifices B. These orifices B are adapted to receive and fit the rods or pipes O, O, which are adapted to slide freely up and down in the socket plates wherein they are guided in their vertical movement.

The foot board is U-shaped in cross section affording a horizontal and vertical board G. This board is secured on the castingsv H which latter are connected with the shanks l, and these shanks are secured in the inside of the pipes C, O, by means of pins F, F. Springs E, E, encircle the rods or pipes O, O, and the pins D, D, are secured in holes formed in these pipes or orifices at various elevations, they working in opposite grooves of the orifices B, B of the socket plates B, B.

The foot board is preferably made in two sections as v indicated in Fig. 1, although it might be made in a single piece, this being constructed in accordance with the requirements of the road using the foot board, some of which prefer that the board should be in a single piece, others, in sections.

.lournaled beneath the foot board and in the castings H, H, are the rollers J, I, in position to engage the roll upon the rails in case of the derailment of the locomotive, the purpose of these rollers being of primary importance, namely to prevent the foot board from rolling under, and thus causing injury to the person riding on the foot board.

The spring E, E, at the bottom of the board rise readily when it or they strike the rail or other obstruction, or in other words, the board adjusts itself to the position of the timber A with respect to the track.

From the foregoing it will be. seen, in the first place, that the board is capable of rising automatically by coming in contact with the top of the rails, by reason of the rollers traveling thereon. Again it will be seen that the board is capable of being adjusted to any desired height from the top of the rail to suit the switchman who works with the engine to which the foot board is attached. Again, it will be seen that the mode of attachment is such that it does not weaken or injure the heavy timber, to which it is attached, or interfere with any of the adjustments required on said timber in any degree. Again, it will be observed that in case of derailment of the engine that the foot board will be raised automatically by the rollers striking the top of the rail, thus raising the switchman who is standing on being thrown down at the peril of being seriously injured or killed, as the case may be, which frequently happens with the foot boards now in use, the difficulty being that they bend back under the engine upon striking a rail, leaving nothing for the switchman to stand on, and causing him to fall to the ground in front of the engine.

My improved foot board is simple in character, and capable of being attached to any engine in use.

Slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish tovlimit myself to the exact construction herein set forth, but j Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A foot board for locomotives yieldingly supported and provided with anti-friction means which upon striking the track prevent the board from turning under.

2. 'lhe combination with a suitable support, of a foot board having rods or pipes fitted to and slidable in said support, springs for normally depressing the foot board and allowing it to yield in an upwardly direction and adthe foot board' up with it, thereby keeping him from instable means for regulating the normal elevation of the foot board.

3. The combination with suitable socket plates, of a foot board having rods or pipes fitted to and slid-able in the socket plates, springs for normally depressing the foot board and allowing it to yield in an upward direction, encirclingsaid rods or pipes and means for adjusting the rods or pipes with respect to the socket plates.

4. The combination with suitable socket plates, of a foot board having rods or pipes fitted to and slidable in the socket plates, springs for normally depressing the foot `ooard and allowing it to yield in an upward direction, encircling said rods or pipes, means for adjusting the rods or pipes with respect to the socket plates, and anti-friction means on the foot board to cause it to ride over and not overturn upon meeting an obstruction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing,r witnesses.

HARRY LAMAR ROBERTS. Witnesses FRANK J. PEFFERS, L. M. SYLER. 

